Non-profit Nari Nari Tribal Council was formed in 2000 by a group of First Nations people who own Gayini (the Nari Nari word for water), more than 87,000 hectares of land in the Lower Murrumbidgee Valley in NSW.
Nari Nari Tribal Council is committed to ensuring future generations of Nari Nari people can live, work and care for Country.
They are seeking to be actively involved in all developments on their land, and are determined that on lands owned by them, cultural and natural values and an equity share is non-negotiable.
In 2020 they began looking for renewable energy developers that:
- value Nari Nari’s cultural and natural priorities, and are prepared to respect areas that are not suited to renewable energy on cultural and natural values
- properly valued Nari Nari’s contribution of knowledge and skills
- work hard to meet Nari Nari’s decision making responsibilities, share knowledge and skills and pay for Nari Nari’s independent advice
- agree to Nari Nari’s free prior and informed consent
- agree that Nari Nari should share in wealth creation, above and beyond landholdings, as an equity share.
Nari Nari Tribal Council approached three proponents and in February 2021 entered an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with Kilara Energy, a proponent willing to discuss their requirements for renewable energy developments on Nari Nari land, share knowledge and cultural obligations, and ensure information and time flowed willingly.
The proponent engaged Everick Heritage to undertake a proactive and collaborative approach to engaging with traditional knowledge holders as required in the Guide to investigating, assessing and reporting on Aboriginal cultural heritage in NSW. It resulted in an agreed value of knowledge (assisted by the Everick Foundation) to be invested by Nari Nari Tribal Council in the project development phase, ensuring Nari Nari’s expertise was valued appropriately, above standard landholder agreements which are not consistent with free, prior and informed consent.
In 2024, Nari Nari Tribal Council formed a partnership with Kilara Energy (a utility scale wind and solar energy developer founded in recognition of the climate emergency) and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners to develop the 500 megawatt (MW) Wilan Wind Farm with up to 74 wind turbines in the South West Renewable Energy Zone. The proposed project if successful, would connect to Project EnergyConnect allowing for energy generated from the wind farm to be supplied to the National Energy Market (NEM).
The joint development agreement between Nari Nari Tribal Council and Kilara Energy ensures that Nari Nari Tribal Council receives a 5% to 10% share of milestone payments made during the project’s development phase. These payments generate a multiplier of Nari Nari’s original knowledge investment and also enable at Nari Nari Tribal Council’s election, a further opportunity to invest as an equity shareholder in the operating asset up to a value of $10 million.
Nari Nari have also negotiated a few clauses to ensure that Wilan cannot be on-sold to a partner they do not wish to work with. These agreements are in addition to landholder payments.
Construction is expected to commence in 2026 with expected completion in 2028.
The proponent says at the end of the wind farm’s operational life after 25-30 years, they will undertake safe decommissioning of the generating equipment. 'This is likely to be a precursor towards a “repowering” of the project area with the next generation of wind turbine equipment.'